Inspiring Conversations with Ana Da Costa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ana Da Costa.  

Hi Ana, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I was born in Rio de Janeiro in the 80s to the warmest Luso Brazilian family. During my childhood, the social-economic situation in Brazil wasn’t the easiest – the country was sunk in inflation, and a new crisis arose every day. I remember when my mother, a Geographer, took as many teaching hours as she could to assure me that I’d have a good education and could pursue my dance dreams. How lucky was I for having parents that always supported my artistic vocation? 

Sixteen years of age was when I started my professional career as a ballerina. An unexpected invitation to join Le Jeune Ballet de France (Young Ballet of France) in Paris was the trigger of my transformation into a professional dancer and the responsible adult I would have to become while living abroad and alone for the first time – at the same time as learning a new language from scratch! I know the parents who are reading this will probably be having anxiety attacks just thinking about it (laughs), but I wouldn’t have changed a thing. This experience taught me so much! 

A year later, I was accepted to join the Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro (City Opera House), Brazil’s most respected and most competitive ballet company. Throughout the 13 years I danced with them, I was lucky to work with and learn from some of the biggest names in the Classical Dance world. It was also during that time that my passion for acting was born, and for the first time, I saw how my artistic life would evolve beyond the short years a ballet career can offer. 

In 2013 the opportunity to come to San Diego and join the California Ballet as a principal ballerina wasn’t to be missed. The idea of changing countries and languages one more time was a mix of feelings. In professional dance, the world is common to see people from all around the globe working and exchanging experiences within the same company, but “only” 6-8 hours of my day would be spent dancing – I was apprehensive about how I would fit in the American way of living. All my concerns quickly disappeared as I met countless wonderful people here in SoCal, so open-hearted and full of positivity. With California Ballet, I danced some of my dream leading roles in Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, and so many others. With this San Diegan company, I had the happiest years of my dance career. 

It’s always difficult for a dancer to know when is the right time to leave the stage – either you leave for your own choice, while your body is still capable, or you use your instrument until its expenditure is so obvious that you are told to leave. By the end of 2019, I was already having thoughts about retiring and finding a new line of profession outside of the arts. But such drastic change needs a lot of thought… or the right opportunity! It’s obvious what happened next: the 2020 Covid outbreak shook my life into the transition I’ve felt the need for. With the end of the California Ballet (which, like many other art institutes, sadly did not survive this period), I felt obligated to make difficult but welcome decisions. 

Now, as an American Citizen, after 20+ years of a professional ballet career, I pass my knowledge to the future generation of dancers at the West Coast Dance Complex in Carmel Valley as I start to walk a whole new path in the Real Estate industry under the exceptional Bobby Martins and the Move up san Diego team, in Del Mar. And of course, I do some acting here and there, because once an artist…

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Every profession I have exercised has incredible challenges… 

The ballet world for example. Nowadays, most people have heard about the amount of dedication and effort that probably surpasses the highest precision sport you might imagine. Add to that the quest for aesthetic beauty that moved artists of all centuries, but try and sculpt that beauty in your own body. Not still, but in movement. And as the third and my favorite layer, let’s now add the emotions of a great actor or any human, tell a story that can make laugh, cry and inspire as you become the music and the music becomes you… but wait! Don’t lose your balance! 

But the sad part is to see ballet is sometimes seen as “pink, pretty and dumb.” Not only is this preconception far from the truth, but it’s a barrier on its own – making it difficult for dancers to have their voices heard or for concerned parents to value the specific bundle of artistic and physical knowledge the profession requires. 

The acting world is a very different beast. The way the industry grew to make it very difficult to have it as your exclusive job unless you start very early in life and/or have a special situation where you don’t need paying work. Of course, when you’re starting out you think you’ll be quickly joining the 2% of actors who don’t need a second job. And I’m not even talking about dreaming of being Viola Davis or Tom Cruise! 

Within the Real Estate world, I believe the difficulties are more known to most people. In my personal experience, the process of studying to acquire the re-license had its own particularities. Set aside the terms and procedures that are specific to the Real Estate law and practice, many wider concepts well known by people who have been raised in this country were still new to me. I had to take my time and dive into this new world of information. I’m glad I did; it’s paying off! 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Being coached by a great professional makes a huge difference in any field! Bobby Martins brings to life what the expression “fiduciary duty” means. He knows how to protect the client’s interests at the same time as meeting their needs and finding the best possible home for each family. Move Up San Diego uses personalized approaches, strategies, and Trade Options, so every client has an exciting experience, not a stressful one. I’m so lucky I have fallen under their umbrella! 

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I’m in a moment of reinvention of myself. But instead of calling it a career change, I’ll name it a career layering. All the human experience I’ve acquired from around the world, from the knowledge and sensibility gifted to me from the arts, are now channeling into a new way of relating to the public. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/anadacosta.artist
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/Ana.da.Costa.T

Image Credits
Sam Zauscher
Eiji Fuller
Giti Kooshkani